If the Inspector determines that a flag's defects are only due to tree roots, and that there are no other non-tree related defects on such flags, then these flags will be replaced at no cost if the City replaces your sidewalk.

Tree roots will certainly contribute to sidewalk failure, but they are not the initial cause of heaving. There are a number of factors that contribute to sidewalk failure: the method of sidewalk construction, type of soil under and surrounding the sidewalk, proximity of the sidewalk to the tree's buttress roots, and others. There are several things that can be done to repair the sidewalk and maintain the health of the tree.

Section 744.110 of the City Ordinance Code requires a written permit to disturb, excavate, block, obstruct, tamper with or place any construction or other material on or in any public road, right of way, or easement of the City of Jacksonville.

If the damage is located within the City owned street allowance, there is no liability against the City to pay for these claims. If the damage is on private property, claims are investigated individually to determine the City's liability.

Tree roots do not cause drains or sewer pipes to break, but they will invade and clog drains that have pre-existing cracks and resultant leakage. Drains are usually six to eight feet below ground level, while tree roots grow almost exclusively in the upper two feet of soil, because they not only need nutrients, but also oxygen to survive.

When homeowners suspect they have a blocked sewer line between their home and the main City sewer, they should contact Toronto Water for assistance: 416-338-ROOT (7668). First response to sewer line blockage, inspection and emergency repair service will be provided by City staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After normal business hours, response will be limited to emergency situations where the sewer service lines are completely blocked.

To qualify for Tree City USA, a town or city must meet four standards established by the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. These standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan and program. It is important to note that they were also designed so that no community would be excluded because of size. Please visit our Tree City USA pages for information on these standards and to download an application.

Maybe. First, you should document your claim (photos, letters, etc.). Then, try to get the company that did the damage to fix it. If a DOT contractor does the repairs, you will receive a bill that may include the cost to repair damage done by a contractor. In these cases, we encourage you to get your money back from whomever did the damage.

The detection of rocks can be due either to your detector's ground adjust not being set correctly so that typical 'hot rocks' are ignored, or to the rock that you have just found being a truly positive reading mineral sample. Hot rocks are iron ores or magnetite, which are 'negative' with respect to normal ground signals. Their intensities can vary considerably, which makes setting the detector to get rid of all of them a little tricky.

Relying on sprinklers or other topical irrigation will increase the chances of raised roots. Since roots follow water, watering the tree at a low trickle for a longer period of time will encourage the roots to grow downward.

Please contact Forestry at 483-4202. Please provide the representative with your with your name, and the address.

A computer dedicated to providing access to the Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network is available in the New Jersey Room at the Main Library, 472 Jersey Avenue, for one-hour scheduled sessions. This service enables users to find current career and job related information.

Each year over 3,000 people report injuries as a result of tripping on defective sidewalks. To prevent injuries and law suits the City issues sidewalk violations.

Most people know that tree roots stabilize a tree. However, that is only part of their job. Most people don't realize that roots absorb oxygen out of the soil. Tree roots absorb air, water and nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus from the soil then convey these elements to the rest of the tree. All of these are essential for the trees growth and overall health. Tree roots also store starches that are produced during the growing season.

The growth characteristics of many species is to develop surface roots. Silver maples are one example. Many times, surface roots occur when the tree roots are looking for water, the soil is too hard, or the soil is saturated with water. Surface roots can impact sidewalks and driveways.

Tree roots can normally grow to that of two and one-half times the height of the tree. The area under the canopy of the tree is commonly referred to as the critical root zone. The amount of critical root zone lost is directly related to the amount of die-back in the crown of the tree. In an oak tree, if more than 30 percent of the critical root zone is lost, the tree will die. However, soft wood trees, such as box elder, can tolerate far more root disturbance.

Sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of fronting property owners. You may, however, call 678-3963 to request the placement of an asphalt patch. Concrete repairs will later be made at the expense of the fronting property owner.

The owner of the adjacent property is responsible for maintaining and repairing the sidewalk. The owner of all property with four or more families is responsible for any injury caused by the owner's failure to maintain the sidewalk in a reasonably safe condition. If you observe a problem you should contact the property owner. To obtain property owner information, visit the Department of Finance's Automated City Register Information System Web site at http://www.nyc.gov/acris.

The Township has a 50/50 sidewalk replacement program administered by the Freehold Township Engineering department.